Producer: Wayne Haun
Record Label: New Day Records/Daywind Music Group
Website: www.thelefevrequartet.com
If a Southern Gospel quartet were to step out of their comfort zone and record an album mostly filled with songs that came from outside the SG genre and included mostly music from the Praise/Worship, CCM and Inspirational genres, this is what I imagine it would/should sound like. Even though it’s technically filled with mostly cover tunes, the average Southern Gospel fan will be unfamiliar with most of these songs, so they will sound like new songs to them. Mike and his son, Jordan LeFevre, along with Jay Parrack and Will Lane and their producer, Wayne Haun, have cleverly put together an outstanding recording that stretches the boundaries just a bit.
Jay starts things off with the upbeat, banjo infused “GOD’S BEEN GOOD”. The song was recently popularized by Tasha Cobb in the worship genre, and it’s a perfect start to the recording.
Mike is featured next on the title song, “MY JESUS” and he does a great job interpreting the lyric of this popular Anne Wilson tune, before Jordan turns in a stellar performance on the power ballad, “ALL THE PRAISE”. A popular worship tune, the song is the crowing jewel of the recording and is my personal favorite. This is a massive song, recalling the days of those epic Lari Goss arrangement.
Will is featured on the jazzy, brass infused tune, “EMPTY THRONE”, written by Chip Davis, Joseph Habedank and Wayne Haun, before the tempo is kicked up for the convention favorite, “IT’S GONNA BE WONDERFUL”. Naturally, it’s the most traditional song on the recording, but it’s an exciting arrangement filled with lots of energy and will no doubt, be a fun song to sing in concert.
Back in 1993 on his “Hope” recording, Michael English recorded a phenomenal song called “A PLACE CALLED HOPE”. Jordan and the guys do a great job redefining this tune as a soulful quartet song, before Jay steps up to sing the Nicole C. Mullen classic, “CALL ON JESUS”. What would have made this performance perfect, would have been a choir on the final chorus. While both versions may not have quite the same punch as the originals, most Southern Gospel fans may be unfamiliar enough with the songs that they wouldn’t even be able to compare it with the originals.
The recording closes out with another Anne Wilson tune, “DEVIL”. Featuring Will, it has a rock/blues feel to it and closes out the recording on a great note. Though I am sure Wilson never intended to write a song with a bass feature, the song is perfectly suited as a bass feature, and Will does a great job with it.
Yes, this recording is filled with lots of cover tunes, but the LeFevre Quartet chose to boldly go where few quartets dare to go! They threw caution to the wind and I felt they did an outstanding job with these songs. The recording is paced well and not a boring moment can be found. I didn’t think they could ever top their 2018 release, “Ascending”, but they upped the ante, and surpassed all my expectations and released what is probably my favorite release for 2021.
